Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday said the proposed Delhi EV Policy 2026 is designed to lower both the purchase and lifetime ownership costs of electric vehicles (EVs), making them a more economical option than conventional fuel-powered vehicles.
The Chief Minister said the policy combines multiple financial incentives to encourage the adoption of electric mobility, including purchase incentives, scrapping incentives for old polluting vehicles, lifetime exemption from road tax, waiver of registration fees, and lower operating and maintenance costs.
“The biggest question before buying an electric vehicle is whether it actually saves money. The Delhi EV Policy 2026 provides a clear answer by making EVs the most financially sensible choice for households, commercial drivers and businesses,” Gupta said.
Under the policy, eligible buyers of electric two-wheelers will receive a purchase incentive of up to Rs 30,000, a scrapping incentive of Rs 10,000, lifetime exemption from road tax and a complete waiver of registration fees. Together, these benefits can result in savings of more than Rs 50,000, excluding tax-related benefits.
Eligible buyers of electric auto-rickshaws (L-5 category) will receive a purchase incentive of up to Rs 50,000, a scrapping incentive of Rs 25,000, lifetime road tax exemption and a waiver of registration fees, resulting in initial savings of more than Rs 75,000, excluding tax benefits.
The policy also provides a scrapping incentive of Rs 15,000 for buyers of electric Gramin Sewa vehicles replacing older vehicles. Buyers of electric light goods carriers will be eligible for a purchase incentive of up to Rs 1 lakh, a scrapping incentive of Rs 50,000, lifetime exemption from road tax and a waiver of registration fees, reducing the initial ownership cost by nearly Rs 1.5 lakh, excluding tax-related benefits.
Gupta said the policy does not provide a purchase incentive for private electric cars. However, buyers who scrap an existing internal combustion engine vehicle and purchase an electric car will be eligible for a scrapping incentive of up to Rs 1 lakh, along with lifetime exemption from road tax and a complete waiver of registration fees.
She said the policy’s key feature is the combination of multiple financial benefits rather than reliance on a single subsidy, enabling eligible buyers to significantly reduce the effective purchase cost of electric vehicles.
(With IANS inputs)
